the Runner

by Peter Ponzo

CHAPTER 5

  To Catch an Android

  Captain Cruder sat at the control panel and watched Home planet recede on the screen. Mayor Humple leaned back.

  "Jacob, that big computer said twenty-four lasercannons and that's what I counted. There are exactly twenty-four circular disks within a few hundred meters of the dome, maybe concrete. I've taken a picture of the dome and all those concrete disks. When we return, our ships can destroy them while they still sit in their holes - then the dome will be without defenses. When we return -"

  "And their space ships? They sit on landing pads, but they also have lasercannon, we understand."

  "We'll destroy them too, of course."

  "The androids, they stay on board. Dost thou imagine that they will suffer us to -"

  "Those damn androids! I shall be glad to destroy those ... those robots!"

  "We think that the androids have an almost human capacity for -"

  "Nonsense! Jacob, they are machines! Nothing but machines!"

  "The android called TOM, he seemed to act quite human. His questions -"

  Mayor Humple jumped to his feet, face reddening, but grinning.

  "TOM! Yes, we must bring him back to earth. Our goal was to determine the planetary defenses and to return with an android. There is but one community and it has only three thousand individuals. We will certainly satisfy the central committee with our information on planetary defenses, but an android, we must return with an android - and I want TOM!"

  "Adrian, thou must think of the -"

  "Go back! Now!" Adrian Humple was pacing back and forth in front of the control panel. "Jacob, go back now! I must have that - that robot! That is an order! Go back now!"

  The Andromeda slowed, stopped and reversed its direction without turning. When they were still several hundred kilometers above the landing pad which held K-47 the Andromeda stopped completely, hovering, spinning. Humple stared at the screen. It showed the vessel K-47.

  "Jacob, you will go down in a landing module. You will enter that ship. You will say that you have a present for that robot. All the others received presents from earth. Say that it was so human, you were so impressed by its performance at the coliseum, it deserves a present too. You had almost forgot, but you have returned to give it a present. Take its picture. Say that earth scientists will be pleased. Say anything - just get into that ship!" Humple rubbed his hands gleefully.

  "Why dost thou not take the module -"

  "No! That robot, that machine would never believe me!" Humple sat down again. "Listen Jacob, when you are inside that ship, kill it!"

  "How -"

  "Here, take this." Humple handed Cruder a small silver weapon which fitted neatly into his tunic pocket. "I've set it so it will paralyze the robot. It will collapse; it will offer no resistance. Call me and I will come down in the second module. We will drag the robot to my module and -"

  "But Adrian, the landing modules have space sufficient for a single passenger only. How -"

  "Jacob! Leave that to me! Your job is to paralyze that robot. Go, now!"

  ______________________________________________________

  Both suns had long vanished beyond Dolom Mountains and the Barrens were dark when TOM saw the lights flash on the console. He punched the comtab and heard Captain Cruder.

  "TOM, we have landed a module beside your ship. We have forgotten to present thee with a gift from earth. May we enter? It would be our very great pleasure to provide evidence of our esteem for your performance at the coliseum. Even Mayor Humple was quite impressed and he insists that we make this presentation."

  "TOM," said LIZ. "Be careful. Why would he return to present thee, you, with a gift? It seems curious and I -"

  "LIZ, you must understand that Captain Jacob Cruder was quite impressed with my performance at the coliseum. I will not disappoint him." TOM opened the door and lowered the stairway. "I am quite eager to see what sort of gift he has brought." The android left the command room and walked quickly to the entry bay. Captain Cruder was just entering K-47.

  "TOM," said the Captain, "how good of thee to accept this gift." Cruder reached into his tunic and withdrew the lasergun. TOM stood stiffly at attention and stared upward, hands at his sides, trying not to seem too curious. He collapsed immediately when struck by the beam.

  "TOM? A second module is landing," said the shipcomp. "TOM ... TOM?" But the android was lying in front of the exitport. Captain Cruder dragged TOM to the stairway and waited for Mayor Humple.

  "Very good, Jacob," shouted Humple, quickly climbing the stairway. "Excellent! Now let's carry him down to my module."

  Together they dragged TOM down the stairway and across the landing pad and together they lifted him into the module.

  "Adrian," said Cruder. "We still don't see how thy plan can provide for all three of us."

  Then Cruder stopped. Humple had removed a lasergun from his tunic and pointed it at Cruder.

  "Sorry Cruder. The android is more important to earth than a retired captain."

  "Adrian, surely thou dost not -"

  Mayor Humple pressed the fire button and Jacob Cruder dropped to the ground instantly. Humple opened the door to his module and set it to autocontrol, closed the door and jumped back as the module began to rise with TOM inside. He then rushed to the second module and soon both vessels had risen and vanished in the black of the night.

  The body of Captain Jacob Cruder lay still beneath K-47.

  ______________________________________________________

  Gry had just left the Dome exitport when he saw the second landing module rise and vanish in the blackness. He stopped his skooter and climbed out. He thought he saw the lights of a large ship hovering in the night sky, but he couldn't be sure. Returning to his skooter, he continued to the landing pad.

  The stairway was extended and he was about to climb to the vessel when he saw the body lying nearby. It wasn't until he was within two meters that he recognized Captain Jacob Cruder. He bent and raised the Captain's head.

  " ... uh, dead," he mumbled. "TOM!" he called. "TOM! Where are you?"

  "Master Gry," said the shipcomp, "they have taken TOM! They have taken him to Andromeda. They have taken him prisoner! They have -"

  "LIZ! Wait a minute. Who has ... uh, taken TOM? What is Andromeda? Prisoner? What do you mean?"

  "Captain Cruder returned in his vessel, the Andromeda. He promised TOM a gift from earth. TOM let him into K-47 and the Captain - he - he killed TOM!"

  "But Captain Cruder is dead. He's lying right here on the ... uh, landing pad."

  "Then he was killed by Mayor Humple!" cried LIZ. "What will the Mayor do to poor TOM?"

  "Great Mother Earth!" cried Gry. "How long ago did he leave?"

  "Eight minutes, eighteen seconds!"

  "Get Kevn! Tell him what happened! Get Sal too! We're ... uh, going after that pack of wolves! I'm going to get Cruder's body. Pull up the stairway when I shout."

  Gry left the vessel and pulled Cruder's body to the stairway, placing it carefully over the first step. "Okay LIZ! Pull up the stairway!" The stairs retracted with Gry standing on the second step, holding the limp body of the Captain. When the stairs were fully retracted he jumped off, dragged Cruder's body to a corner then ran to the command room. He poked the comtab which started the engines. They hummed and the huge vessel shuddered, rose to one hundred meters then headed for the Dome. K-47 hovered at the exitport. Gry waited for Kevn and Sal.

  "LIZ? Did you get in touch with ... uh, Kevn?"

  "Yes, master Gry. He will come immediately, with his brother."

  "Good. Now see if you can get an image of Andromeda on the televiewer."

  The large screen shimmered and displayed a black void.

  "I am sorry master Gry. They are too remote for visual reception. Do you wish to communicate by voice?"

  "No, we'll wait for Kevn."

  "Master Gry? Should you not ask about TOM? Why they
have taken him? Perhaps it was a mistake and -"

  "It was no mistake LIZ. They mentioned that they wanted to buy a robot - an android. Now they got one ... uh, for free."

  "Master Gry? Would it be wise to speak to them as to TOM's condition? Surely they -"

  "I'd rather they didn't know we were on to them. If they thought we knew they might go right into subspace then we'd ... uh, never catch 'em."

  "Master Gry? Can we send a videoprobe, to provide enhanced visuals?"

  "They would surely see the probe, LIZ. I know you're worried about TOM. Don't worry sweetheart, we'll get him back. Those bastards won't ... uh, get away with this!"

  "Kevn and Sal are at the exitport. Shall I extend the stairway?"

  "Please do LIZ. And don't worry. Just plot a course to Earth. When Kevn and Sal get in, take off. We'll catch up. We'll get TOM back."

  "Yes, master Gry. Thank you."

  Kevn entered the command room, breathless. Sal was right behind.

  "Whoa Gry, what's this all about? We ran to the exitport ... couldn't get the skooter started. LIZ says that Cruder came back and took TOM. Is that right?"

  "Something like that," said Gry, pulling his rings. "LIZ, take us out!"

  They all staggered as LIZ took K-47 straight up at maximum velocity.

  "The bastards!" cried Gry. "They sneaked back after dark and bought themselves an android ... uh, free."

  "Then we'd better catch up before their first subspace entry," said Kevn.

  LIZ took K-47 out into space and they all pulled a chair to the console and waited, staring at the large screen, hoping for a sighting of Andromeda. The transworld vessel K-47 had never left Home so rapidly before. The readings on the console showed eight percent beyond maximum design velocity. Nobody dared ask LIZ to slow down.

  After ten minutes of almost complete silence Sal turned to Gry. "Gry, how is it you were out of the Dome?"

  "Me? I was ... uh, I was ... Great Mother Earth! Runr!"

  "Runr? What's wrong with Runr?" said Sal.

  "He didn't come home for his evening meal. I was going to see if he had left the Dome. Oh my! Lori will be ... uh, I completely forgot."

  "LIZ," said Kevn, "contact Lori. Tell her what happened. Tell her that - that -"

  "- that we are on K-47," said Sal. "Tell her we are with Runr. We'll be a little while, but not to worry."

  "But master Sal," said LIZ, "I am certain that Runr is not aboard."

  "LIZ," said Kevn, "please tell Lori that Runr is with us. She shouldn't worry. We're just - just -"

  " - we're just having a party," said Sal.

  "You guys must think that Lori is ... uh, stupid. A party? A party? What will she think?" moaned Gry.

  "Oh, and LIZ?" said Kevn. "Contact DOC. Tell him to confirm our story - just in case Lori asks him."

  "Wait a minute," said Gry, "DOC wouldn't lie ... Lori will ask him and he'll just -"

  "Master Gry," said the shipcomp. "DOC will most certainly confirm this story."